Psalm 85
October 25, 2026,
Eternal God,
You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
But the circumstances we face on this earth are not.
The Psalmist thinks back to days of old, times of refreshment.
The flowers blossomed, the harvest was plentiful, you were favorable to your land.
These people tangibly experienced your forgiveness and rejoiced in your favorable presence.
But something happened, LORD, that brought about your anger and the Psalmist felt that anger and pleads: “Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.:
Lord, I assume we are all in this room experiencing you in various ways — whether feeling your divine smile or experiencing your disciplining hand or feeling nothing at all.
But we can all pray the words of verse six: Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
Lord, we pray this for ourselves personally: That we would be individuals revived in heart to worship and praise and value you they you ought to be.
Lord, we pray this for ourselves corporately: That we would be a people who are passionately rejoicing about you, your goodness, and steadfast love.
Lord, we pray this for the North Metro area of Forest Lake, Lino Lakes, Columbus, Circles Pines, Centerville, Lexington, Blaine, and others. We pray you’d bring many people from the dead who currently dwell in these places and that you allow Centennial Church to have a hand in that work.
And Lord, we pray that you would revive this world. Lord, let all the nations worship you. We pray especially for those unreached people groups who have no access to the gospel. In view of our sermon text (Matthew 9:38), we pray you’d send laborers and missionaries to this field.
God, what a gospel it is that you’ve given us to believe in and proclaim on display in Psalm 85.
The holy and just God has spoken peace to his people through the blood of the cross.
There at the cross, justice was maintained and you became the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ.
Your glory has come and dwelled in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, pour into our hearts, once again, your love.
And, as Paul prayed for the Ephesian church, May we have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19).
Revive us, again, Lord, that we may rejoice in you.
In Jesus’ name we pray and all God’s people said: Amen.